Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-23
CITY AND DISTRICT.
"HIGH. AND LOW,
HIGEh'' AMI "LOWsV
The Weather System and Heated
Ters0s-HoW to Read the Weather
Map,

10 the Editor of The EVENING STAB:
while science cannot amenorate the natural
Neterooxical conditions, IL can now readily give q
most satisfactory reason for ALI the meteorological
changes In order TO deal with nature on a scale
sufficiently large TO create changes In this line
man must advance his powers 70 a scale far be-
yondh,s present ability Is the heat and life power
Of the sun Is beyond that OF the glow-worm. SO it
would seem that man must forever rest with the
knowledge OF how the great phenomenon Is caused,
and be content with that. We will not, however,
Say that the problem cannot be solved. Man has
accomplished great and wonderful things, but none
so great as this would be. Attempts have been
made TO control these forces, but all efforts thus
Tar have been futile, and more, have been con-
Quoted in foolishneSs and in total ignorance OF the
natural laws governing this department of science.
But for that modern acquisition, the "weather-
map" We would still be In total ignorance OF the
laws that govern the meteorological system OF the
facts that IL reveals are, that the atmosphere Of
the globe Is made Of great areas OF high and low
oaroneter; that these are ever ehanging and
moving Ia irregular belts or on general lines, from
the west toward the eaSt-ever toward that great
source OF light and heat, the sum- "ligh," or high
In proportion to It's Intensity "Low," or low bar
Ometer, Is a wet factor, wet In proportion to It's
intensity, and warm or cold In proportion TO Its
latitude
The areas OF "hgh" and Slow follow one an
other, on an average OF two thousand miles, on
.Centers. As to which may be named first in this
particular, IL Is difficult To say, and quite unin-
portant 20 state For euphony it is little better
20 say thigh" and low rather than low and
extent OF their areas cannot be measured In feet
and inches or even In miles; they merge into one
another 5 the inabrupt hill and valley. We can
give the extent OF certain areas within certain
lines OF pressure, but no more. We can speak OF
Inc center or OF the distance between the lines OF
the highest or lowest pressure being $50 much,"
via, 40 minutes seconds for the center OF the
s'hfgh" and 20 minutes seconds for the center OF
"lOw." Their outlines never twice alike, or
even similar In extent or intensity. Certain por-
lions may have the same intensity, but this never
extends over the same lines The lines vary and
never twice alike; hence the difficulty and
3bsurdty In very advanced weather reports.
With the "hgh" We have the clear, cioudiess sky.
1sti suseisht in Weight f to produee preep
tation In the form OF rain or snow. The
'high" to the SLOW" and by this movement what
we term 1.-The wind the clouds are waited on and
gathered about Glow" But for this movement OF
air, BY the heat power OF the sun, our atmosphere
Would soon become stagnaDt. By ths action Its
nic-giying properties are renewed and our earth
face. BY the hills and valleys, currents and tides
the waters OF tine earth are kept in health giving
action: BY these forces, the primary cause OF
the globe is kept ia like healthful condition The
wind IS toward Glow" from every direction; If it
Is travelling on north line the general direction
OF the wind to the south OF IL will be southerly,
and southerly winds are, from the very nature OF
Things warm, and the longer they blow from the
south the more heated they become. The more
positive the 'high and the Glow" the more POSI-
tive tho action movement Of the atmosphere be-
tween the two points. Thirty-and-five or six
telth-preS OF the inner circle OF 'High" would
Indicate very positive condition OF this factor,
while twenty nine and-fOur or f1ye-tenthS would
represent positive "low,' though at times the
''Hiyh" and the slow" will Indicate more positive
conditions. sweeping, positive ''High' will
cause IL 10 be relatively cold for the season rel
atiyely low temperature. with storm, may also be
caused by south Glow, or slow" to the south
OF our locality. We cannot speak OF these
factors as We do OF stationary things,
like hill, and valleys, Tor they are
all the While on the move, and we must neceS-
Sarfy SPEAK OF their position as relative to our
locality. relatively north Low" will cause 1t to
be warm to the south OF the center, and the far
there be no south Low 10 counteract IL, the
greater Will be the amount OF heat IN the sections
of country affected by 1t. The most trying sum
amer weather Is when 1t Is very warm with little or
no wind and a "clOse" atmosphere. This cOndi-
1ion is CAUSED by general lOw pressure; neither
the thigh" nor the slow OF very positive
nature but the lowest pressure far to the north,
Say In this hemisphere as far north as
the British Possessions On an average new
FLOW" or ''high" crosses the area OF the United
States every four or i've days. The greater the
humber that follow successfully similar high
frack or line Of latitude the more protracted and
uncomfortable the conditions. When, week after
fHeek the lOws' travel on this high line OF latl-
Nude, and the "high" Is low In degree, say not
mOre than 80 minutes, seconds, or even 80 min
NteS, seconds, the conditions they produce are
most trying. We have .close" high thermomet-
He atmosphere, with little or no wind or rain to
give RELIEF p. n.